Milan's 2026 Olympics Ice Hockey Arena Dimensions Under Fire, Organisers Defend
Image Source: Internet
The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics ice hockey arena in Milan has come under scrutiny for its dimensions, with organisers and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) defending the size of the rink. The debate surrounds the surface area, which is reportedly 60x26 metres, slightly shorter than the 200-foot length required by the National Hockey League (NHL). According to reports, this discrepancy has raised concerns about player safety, particularly with elite NHL players set to return to the Olympics for the first time since 2014. However, the IIHF maintains that these dimensions are consistent with their regulations and match those used at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. The Santagiulia Arena, which will host the gold medal games, has been plagued by building delays. Test events are now scheduled for January 9-11, just a month before the Games open. The arena will have approximately 15,000 seats and will be inaugurated in January with the Final Four events in Italy's IHL Hockey League Serie A Championship and the 2025/2026 Italian Cup. The NHL last participated in the Olympics in 2014, in Sochi, Russia. The league's players were absent from the 2018 Games in South Korea due to a dispute over travel and other agreements. They also missed the Beijing 2022 Olympics due to COVID-19 restrictions. The Milano Cortina Winter Olympics will take place from February 6-22, with Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo co-hosting the event. The IIHF has stated that the arena's dimensions meet the required specifications for the Global Series Game arena, which may alleviate some concerns. Nevertheless, the controversy surrounding the rink's size has added to the pre-Olympic jitters.
